Globe Telecom: 80% of Postpaid Mobile Customers Prefer E-Billing

October 06, 2017 | 12:24 PM

Public Company Information:

PSE: GLO

Promotes zero-delay
in delivery of monthly bill statements

About 80% of Globe Telecom’s postpaid mobile customers are already
on e-billing or paperless delivery mode, in step with the company’s
sustainability practice to help protect the environment and improve
customer experience.

The company’s push for e-billing was prompted by
numerous customer concerns about delays in delivery of monthly billing
statements. Delays in the delivery of bill statements were mostly due
to incomplete or changes in customer address, absence of a person to
receive the bill, inclement weather, or difficulty of the courier
service to deliver in far-flung areas. Following the company’s drive
for e-billing, customer complaints on delayed billing statements have
significantly gone down.

“Understanding that we are now in the digital age, most of our
customers prefer to do their regular transactions online. We are
encouraged that majority of our customers have decided to choose
e-billing,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Senior Vice President for
Corporate Communications.

To discourage paper billing, customers who choose this option are
charged P50 per month to cover the cost of printing and courier
services. The paper bill fee is included in the monthly billing
statement of the customer. Crisanto clarified that only new postpaid
mobile customers from October 2015 onwards who chose paper billing
are being charged, representing 2.4% of total postpaid mobile customer
base. Furthermore, senior citizens and Globe Platinum customers are
exempted from the fee even if they choose paper billing.

Crisanto added, “We recognize that the level of adoption in using
digital technology is not the same across all customer segments. This
is the reason why certain customers, especially senior citizens, are
exempted from the paper billing fee.” In addition, any customer may
also request for an exemption from the paper bill fee. The customer
can call the hotline at (02) 730-1000 or 211 on mobile to request for
the exemption.

The company is reacting to certain news reports and the recent
pronouncement of Senator Nancy Binay, who said that “it would be
better (for telcos) if they entice their subscribers to agree to
paperless billing system through incentives and promos.” Binay filed
Senate Resolution No. 521, calling for an investigation into the
additional P50 paper bill charge.

Crisanto emphasized that e-billing notifications are secure,
offering customers a fast and convenient way to view their latest
billing statement, enabling them to pay online within the comfort of
their home or office. In addition, e-billing allows customers to view
previous statements without going through the tedious process of
tracking and filing paper bills.

Customers under e-billing will receive a text notification every
month, where they will be informed of their amount due and due dates.
They will also receive a secure link, which will allow them to view
their billing statements using their smartphones. They may also access
their billing statements through USSD code *143#, G-Services app and
through www.globe.com.ph/myaccount.

“E-billing offers a clutter-free way to keep a record of our
customers’ transactions while being environment-friendly. Through this
initiative, we want to enhance customer awareness that they too can
support conservation initiatives through sustainable and responsible
consumption and lifestyle,” Crisanto said.

The National Telecommunications Commission provides guidelines on
the delivery of customer billing statements but does not impose rules
on the manner or channel of delivery.